The Taliban pulled the plug on internet service across large parts of northern Afghanistan in mid-September 2025. They say it’s to stop “immoral activities,” but the real result is cutting off millions of people from the digital world they depend on.
Fiber Internet Takes the Biggest Hit
This isn’t about weak Wi-Fi signals. The Taliban specifically targeted fiber-optic internet services that bring high-speed connections to homes, businesses, and offices. Some mobile internet might still work in certain areas, but the broadband shutdown cuts the main digital lifeline to the outside world. Provinces like Balkh, Kandahar, and Helmand felt the impact first, with reports showing the ban spreading to other regions.
The official reason of preventing “immoral activities” sounds familiar. It’s the same excuse authoritarian governments have used for decades to control information and silence opposition. The internet goes from being a tool for connection and progress to being seen as a threat to their control.
Real People Pay the Price
This internet shutdown hurts Afghanistan’s most vulnerable people the worst. Women’s education, already severely limited, takes another hit as online learning platforms go dark. Human rights groups say the internet had become a crucial resource, offering access to information, support networks, and secret education opportunities for girls banned from schools.
People are losing their jobs too. Many Afghan women had started making money online through e-commerce and remote work to support their families. Reuters reports how this shift from “looms to laptops” gave women hope and independence. The internet ban destroys that opportunity and makes economic hardship even worse.
Getting basic information becomes nearly impossible. People can’t easily access health information, stay updated on news, or even talk to family members living abroad. Communities become more isolated than ever.
A Warning for the World
The Taliban’s internet shutdown shows how the global battle between technology and authoritarian control keeps getting worse. This digital crackdown looks a lot like what other authoritarian governments do - China’s Great Firewall and North Korea’s information control systems work the same way. These governments know that controlling information flow helps them stay in power, and the internet’s open nature threatens that power.
This bold move sets a scary example, showing how easily a country can be cut off from information under the excuse of “morality.” It highlights the ongoing fight for internet freedom and people’s basic right to access information. Afghanistan becomes a clear example of how governments can use technology control as a weapon, creating what amounts to a “digital prison” for their citizens.
This problem goes beyond Afghanistan’s borders. It serves as a global warning about how fragile our connected world really is and the constant threat from those who want to control what we see, hear, and learn online.
For more on the challenges of maintaining information integrity, read our investigation into Wikipedia’s Battle Against Political Pressure.
You can find more detailed coverage on the Taliban’s recent actions from CNN and the broader human impact from Reuters.